


a hurricane in a blue sky

by Kroolea



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Adorable Grogu | Baby Yoda, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cobb Vanth Is Doing His Best, Cults, Din Djarin Needs a Hug, Escaping Cults, Fluff, Good Parent Din Djarin, Human Grogu | Baby Yoda, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Panic Attacks, Slow Burn, Winta Just Wants To Build Her Lego Castle Omg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:47:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29521788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kroolea/pseuds/Kroolea
Summary: In a desperate attempt to escape a cult he's been stuck in for years, Din Djarin takes his son and leaves with nothing but the clothes on his back. He's trying to reach other ex-cult members when he passes out in the middle of nowhere.Cobb Vanth is stuck in a routine. For years he has been sheriff of a tiny Oklahoma town. When a mysterious man and his child shows up and are put into his custody.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Cobb Vanth
Comments: 67
Kudos: 218





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am so excited for this story! I'm posting thr first 2 chapters today and from now on they'll be posted every two days.

Din is shaking as he makes Grogu's dinner. The toddler plays with a frog on the porch, giggling softly.

His own stomach rumbles unhappily but Din clenches his jaw and takes a long sip of water to subside the feeling. Picking up a small bottle on the counter he reads the label.

"Din?"

Din jumps as a loud voice breaks through his thoughts, he shoves the bottle in his pocket. "Paz. I didn't see you this morning at morning meditation."

Out of every person in the community, Paz is easily the most faithful in attending the meetings, he attends despite the weather and despite any injuries or illnesses. Din really does try to attend them as often as possible but he also has a duty to their covert that requires he often be gone for much of the day. Din is one of the workers in the covert. He and a few others have one job, work to provide money for the others. It is hard work, often working long hours in a warehouse or factory, but they are highly regarded back home.

Paz grins and scoops up Grogu. "I was on an errand. You know the rules."

Din is very well aware of the rule Paz is talking about: _no questions_. It takes everything in Din not to scream at the taller man to put his toddler down. Din nods and turns around to finish Grogu's food.

"You look pale. Are you alright?" Paz worries, he puts a hand on Din's neck, thr motion is supposed to be soothing but Paz's hand is cold. Din shudders.

"I'm alright. Just tired, the little one woke up extra early."

Paz glances down at Grogu and shakes his head. "I don't know why you don't leave him with the carers if he's waking you up so early."

Din stands up straighter. "He's my son."

Paz shrugs. "I have many sons, they don't live with me though. I'm waiting until they're out of school." He laughs. "You were always too attached."

Din forces himself to laugh. "Will you stay for dinner?"

Paz shakes his head. "Of course not." He sets Grogu down. "Goodnight Din, goodnight Milagro-Agusto." He pats the boy on the head.

Grogu watches Paz walk away. His dark eyes wide.

Din waits until he is sure Paz is gone before he shuts the door and closes the curtains. He sits on the floor and squints at the small writing on the bottle of melatonin. It's blurry with the tears of fear that are burning his eyes.

_Do not feed to children under 3_ _._

_3 years old - 15 drops_

Din glances at Grogu, who is watching him curiously.

"I guess you're gonna have to be three, buddy." Din mumbles, he counts the drops as he squeezes the clear drug into a glass of milk.

He sets Grogu's food at the table and lets the little boy eat. Din doesn't, his stomach is in nervous knots and he doesn't think he'd be able to keep it down if he had something to eat.

Din goes to his small room and grabs the bag he has had as long as he can remember. It is his only personal possessions as he bought it a few hours ago. He shoves a few diapers for Grogu, a package of wipes, and a change of clothes for both of them in it. A map from the dollar store is tucked into his pocket and he pulls on his work boots.

He only has one hundred dollars, this is going to have to last him until he can find someone to take him in.

Grogu is done with his milk, his eyelids already drooping. Din picks him up and wraps him up with a baby carrier.

It's now or never. As much as Din hates drugging Grogu into sleep, he can't risk the one year old waking up too early. Especially not for the next few hours.

Din turns off the lights and waits. Grogu is fast asleep and Din closes his eyes to steady his breathing.

He has the way to go until morning memorized, walk through any bunch of trees and through the corn crops as much as possible. Leave no tracks.

Once he is sure the family beside him is asleep, he quietly opens the door and creeps out of the small house he's called home for almost a two decades.

Getting out of the town will be the hardest part of this journey. It's the reason he gave Grogu the melatonin.

He can't risk the toddler waking up the whole neighborhood. Din shudders at the thought. He doesn't know what would happen if they found him leaving but he knows it wouldn't be pretty.

He doesn't end up walking as fast as he would like. His boots are clunky and don't fit right, he can practically feel the blister that will be on his heel before morning.

It despite all that, he keeps walking, refusing to look back as the dark neighborhood gets smaller and smaller. He's doing this for Grogu, not himself. The saying almost becomes a chant in his head, resounding with every step he takes.


	2. Chapter 2

Cobb grins as he takes a long swig of coffee.

"I don't know how you do this, Jo. But you make the best coffee on this side of the Mississippi."

Jo laughs. "Anything for our favorite sheriff. Need anything else?" She asks.

"Not today." He stands, setting a twenty dollar bill on the table. "Keep the change, buy yourself something nice."

She grins. "Thanks, Cobb. Have a nice day."

He jogs to his car, starting it as he drives down the highway. People wave at him as he drives by, he laughs and rolls down his window.

He loves this job. Where else can he be paid for taking a joyride on work hours.

A figure on the side of the highway catches his attention. It's a man and a small child. Cobb frowns. It isn't safe to walk on the side of the highway like that, even the homeless around here are aware of that and try to steer clear of the busy road. He slows to a stop and pulls over in front of them.

"Hey, hey!" He calls, the two look up, they're filthy and the man looks exhausted. "It ain't very safe to walk along the highway. 'Specially not with a young'un."

The man stares at him, looking confused. As he stops walking, they stare at each other.

Cobb furrows his brow. Maybe the man doesn't understand English. "Uh, no andes..." He wishes he'd taken some Spanish in college. "Al lado la carretera."

No response. Cobb tries to sign it. He took sign language in college and is pretty proud of his fluency.

Of course, fluency only matters if the person on the receiving end understands. Cobb sighs. The man starts to walk forward, his face determined.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. I can drive ya, wherever ya need to be."

No response. The man sways on his feet, squinting in the hot Oklahoma sun.

Cobb puts his hand up to his eyes. "Listen, it ain't good for the little one to be out and about in this heat." The little boy doesn't look fazed by the heat whatsoever.

The man's eyes suddenly roll into the back of his head as he slumps over in the dirt. Cobb makes a startled noise and runs toward him. His head didn't hit anything hard, just the sandy side of the road. Cobb counts his blessings that there isn't going to be a major head injury in any of this.

The man's child begins to cry and Cobb feels his heart break a little as he pulls out his phone and calls 911. He checks the man's breathing and pulse and sighs in relief as he feels a light pulse.

"C'mere, little fella." Cobb scoops up the kid, he can't be older than two.

The paramedics arrive and take both the man and the kid. Cobb watches as one looks over the little guy.

"Did he say how old he is?" She asks. Cobb shakes his head. She sighs.

"Alrighty. We'll call CPS and-"

"Don't do that. Don't call them." Cobb snaps. He caught a glimpse of how much the man cares for his child and he would hate to separate them.

She frowns. "We don't really have anywhere else to let him stay."

"I'll care for him." Cobb says softly. She pauses and lets out a long breath.

"This is unconventional." She hands the boy to Cobb.

"So am I." He jokes. "We'll meet you at the hospital."

"I'm _only_ doing this because we all know you very well." She warns, "Get the kiddo cleaned up, slowly get him fluids and all that good stuff."

\---

The next few hours pass in a blur. Cobb is waiting in a private waiting room when a older doctor steps in the room.

"Sheriff Vanth." He dips his head, sitting across from Cobb.

"How is he?"

The doctor lets out a slow breath. "Physically, he's stable. He was severely dehydrated, nothing an IV and a few days of rest won't cure."

Cobb nods, watching the child on his lap play with a toy ball Cobb was able to convince a nurse to steal from the children's ward. "You found something else?"

The doctor allows a moment to pass before answering. "I'm only telling you this because you're watching his child. He has multiple ribs that have been broken in the past and healed badly. There are scars all over his body. We have reason to belief he's a victim of abuse."

Cobb places a gentle hand on the boy's head. "Wow. That's, that's a lot."

"Yes. We'll only know for sure when he wakes up."

"Of course."

The doctor takes his leave, Cobb looks down at the kid in his arms.

"What have you seen, little guy?" He asks, the kid's face screws up like he's going to cry.

The boy has been fussy off and on all day. Cobb sighs and picks up a magazine from the shelf. "You want me to read? Look at this mountain." He points at the cover. "Do you know what a mountain is?"

He reads the National Geographic, the kid seems to be hooked onto every word. Cobb laughs under his breath as the kid falls asleep. The kid seems well-talked to, he seems interested in anything Cobb says.

As the boy sleeps in Cobb's arms he leans against the wall. He'll have to call Jo and tell her he won't be able to make it for breakfast at the diner tomorrow.

The man stirs slightly, mumbling something in a language Cobb can't quite pick up the words. It's a Latin language, Spanish or maybe Italian. His eyes flutter open before a brief moment.

But before Cobb can say anything, his eyes close again and he falls back into his fitful sleep.

Crazy how one choice can change your life forever. Cobb muses. This morning, he woke up to do the same thing as always and now?

To be completely honest, he doesn't know what he's doing now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, leave kudos, or come chat with me on @onceuponagalaxyfarfaraway (or all three? 🥺 👉👈)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg y'alls reactions to this is so sweet thank you and I hope this lived up to your expectations!

The heart monitor beeps rhythmatically as Cobb watches the little kid play on the floor with his new toy.

Suddenly, the man startles and sits up quickly. Cobb tries to gently push the man back down. He flinches back into the pillows. "Hey, hey, hey. It's okay." He leans over and pushes the help button beside the bed.

"You speak English, right?"

No response.

"Your kiddo seems to understand English so I think you do." Cobb continues. "I'm Cobb Vanth, sheriff of Afton, Oklahoma." He holds out his hand for a handshake.

The man stares at his hand like it's poison so Cobb drops it, wiping it on his shirt awkwardly. He doesn't really know what to do in this situation, does he try to explain what the doctors told him? Does he try to figure out what's happening if the man won't speak.

Luckily, a nurse comes in and checks over the man, removing Cobb from the awkward situation. She looks him over, rambling after realizing there will be no responses from the silent man. "We'll release him in a few hours. He's going with you, right sheriff?"

Cobb wasn't aware of that fact but he nods anyways. "Yeah."

"Alrighty. I'll come back in a little while. Holler if you need anything." She hurries away. Cobb sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose.

"Okie dokie." Cobb picks up the kid and sets him on his father's bed.

"Can I at least get a name?" Cobb asks, pleads, the man looks him over and seems to hesitate. "Please?"

"Din." The man's voice is very scratchy from disuse and dehydration but it's clear.

"And your kiddo?"

"Milagro-Agusto."

Cobb stares at Din for a long moment before realizing the man is not joking. "No way I'm calling this kid that name. It's too long. How 'bout..." He trails off, thinking. There isn't many good nicknames that one can make out of... whatever the man just said.

"Grogu." Din supplies after a moment. "That's his nickname."

"Better." Cobb smiles widely at Din.

Din doesn't smile back, instead he looks at his son who is playing with the ball Cobb gave him.

Neither speak, Cobb stands up and stretches. "I'm gonna get some coffee. I'll be back in a bit." He leaves, hoping the father and son can talk now that he's gone. He isn't sure that the little guy, Grogu, what a dumb name, can speak but he hopes Din will at least.

\---

Din watches Cobb leave the room before turning his attention to Grogu. "Hey." He mumbles. Grogu looks up, smiling.

"I'm sorry about that. I thought I could get to the next city without water." He says bitterly. "Look at me." He glances at the IV in his arm. "Fucking hell."

He doesn't know where he is. What had the sheriff said, he said Afton, that was a good sign. Din had looked at the maps long enough to know that Afton was only a few miles from where he needed to be. They were far enough away from the covert that they could relax a little.

Din runs a hand through Grogu's hair. It felt clean, like someone had given him a bath.

Din wishes he could shower, it's been a while since he was able to.

"I'm sorry you have such a shitty papa. I'm just trying to keep you safe."

He doesn't expect a response. Grogu hadn't quite got the concept of speaking yet.

"Papa." Grogu says suddenly. Din startles and stares at his son.

"W-what?"

"Papa!" Grogu repeats.

Tears burn Din's eyes and he pulls Grogu close to him for a hug. "Good job, buddy."

Grogu squirms out of Din's grasp. He grabs the ball from the edge of the bed. "B-b-b, ah" He holds up the toy.

Din takes it from him. "Yes. Ball." He says the word slowly so Grogu can try.

"Bah!"

"Ba _ll._ " Din tries, pointing at the ball. Grogu seems to have lost his interest in speaking and plays quietly.

Din doesn't know what to do from here. He'll need to leave as soon as possible. There was no need to pull innocent people into his own mistakes.

Before Din can think this though, the door swings open and Cobb walks back in. Grogu looks delighted and holds his arms for the man to pick him up.

"Aww. Aren't you adorable?" The man scoops the kid up and spins him around. Din cringes, Cobb seems to notice it and slows down. "Sorry bud. Now that your dad's watching we can't do that."

Din nods gratefully as Cobb sits down back beside the bed. "They're releasing you into my care. Sorry 'bout that. It was that or call the homeless shelter and I didn't think you wanted that."

Din shrugs. He's escaped once and knows he can do it again.

The kindly nurse who had taken his vitals when he first woke up signs him out of the hospital a few short hours later. She gives the sheriff a long list of instructions. He grinned and bore it, nodding along with her.

She pats Din's hand. "I hope you start to feel better very soon. Cobb will take great care of you."

Din only nods.

Cobb's home is nicer than any home Din has seen, it's clean and cool in contrast to the hot outdoors. The sheriff gives him a quick tour, showing him the upstairs guest bedroom.

"Usually my sister and her kiddos stay here, there's some toys and the sort. Your little one can use them." Cobb pulls out a box with an assortment of toys in it. He hands Grogu an old stuffed bear.

"We should have a crib 'round here somewhere. I'll have to find it." Cobb looks deep in thought as he considers where the crib would be.

Din helps him set up the crib and tuck Grogu into it for the evening.

Across the hall from the guestroom is a room that's lined wall to wall with books. Din stares at it longingly, Cobb seems to notice and motions toward it.

"Go ahead. I barely have got the time to read those. Feel free to read whatever you want." He shrugs. "I'm gonna retire for the evening. Call me if you need anything, I'm a light sleeper."

Din nods, reaching for a book with a dark blue spine. "Thank you. For taking care of him."

Cobb barely has time to mask the surprise on his face at the fact that Din is actually taking to him. "Of course. He's a good kid. What's his name mean?"

Din runs his fingers over the gold lettering of the book. "August miracle." He finally answers.

Cobb hums, thinking the name over. "That's a good meaning. I'll see you tomorrow."

Din can't sleep, the house is silent, too silent. He was sure to listen to the steps when he was led up them. They're too creaky and he doesn't have the melatonin for Grogu anyways. An escape at night would be pointless or even dangerous.

The book he took off the shelf is about law. It's boring and almost lulls him to sleep a few times. Grogu wakes up in thr middle of the night so Din reads the book to him, making sure to be as quiet as possible.

Sometime in the early hours in the morning he shuts the book and allows himself to close his eyes for a short while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment! They make my day!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday!

"This is the high school. Lotta good folks work there, I admire teachers more'n almost anybody." Cobb stops at a stop sign, waving to a group of teenagers outside the school.

Din watches them closely, in all his jobs he worked with teenagers he knows them to be hard workers. These teenagers are laughing and shiving each other playfully. It's good to see them being kids, Din thinks.

"This is the library. It ain't the biggest but it's ours." Cobb motions toward the brick building. "That's pretty much the town. It's pretty small."

Din nods. Grogu is in the backseat in his newly bought carseat.

"Food!" He motions to the diner. Cobb laughs.

"That's right, buddy. That's-"

"His name is Grogu." Din interrupts.

"Alright, alright. No need to throw a hissy fit." Cobb makes a motion with his hand that Din can't interpret. "Let's go get some food. Grogu really liked this place." Cobb parks his car and looks over at Din.

"I don't have money." Din protests. Cobb shrugs.

"I do. C'mon now. The people here'll love the little guy - Grogu." He corrects himself. Din resigns himself to going in.

Country music plays softly as Cobb lets them sit at a booth. Almost immediately, a young woman is at their table.

"Good afternoon, Cobb. If it isn't our favorite little one." She pinches Grogu's cheeks before turning her attention to Din. "You must be his daddy."

Din nods, not wanting to say much else.

"He doesn't talk." Cobb saves Din's ass by drawing the woman's (Jo, her nametag says) attention away from Din.

"Ah. Well, what can I get you? The usual?"

Cobb nods. "Waters though. Din can't have anything else for a few days."

Jo nods sympathetically. "I get it. Got dehydrated once on a girl scouts trip and couldn't have coffee for two weeks."

Din has never had coffee. Not that he can remember very well at least. He nods along, with Jo's story.

After Jo has left, Din allows himself to look around. The place is homely, loud enough that he can't pick up on everyone's conversation but quiet enough that he isn't overwhelmed.

"Where's Dotyville?" He asks suddenly, accidently interrupting Cobb's chattering. Cobb pauses.

"'Bout twenty minutes south of here. Why?"

That's a lot closer than Din was expecting. Isn't is wonderful what cars can do?

"I need to find someone."

Cobb looks surprised at the statement. "Family?"

Din hesitates. "Somewhat."

Cobb purses his lips. "You got a names?"

"Bo-Katan Kryze and Koska Reeves. They're in Dotyville."

Cobb's face falls. "Don't recognize the names. We do a lotta stuff with Dotyville."

Din lets out a frustrated breath. "Dammit."

"I could figure it out. Ask around."

"Today?"

"Sure. Hey, c'mere." He motions for one of the waitresses to come over. She smiles at them.

"How can I help you?"

"You're from Dotyville, right?"

"Yeah. Born and raised there." She straightens proudly. He grins like she's already given him the answer.

"You ever heard of Koska Reeves or Bo Kryze."

"Bo-Katan Kryze." Din corrects, Cobb mouths a thanks and nods.

She frowns. "Can't say I have. Go over to Peli's and ask her. She knows just about everyone."

Cobb makes a noise. "Great point, thank you."

"Of course."

Jo brings their food out. "Here ya go. Enjoy!" She hurries away.

Din looks down at his plate. The meal smells wonderful, a burger of some sort and fries. He knows he won't be able to eat all of it. He hadn't had access to this much food in _years._

Grogu has some chicken nuggets and fries on his plate, he's humming a song that Din doesn't recognize. Not that Din would recognize most music, they weren't allowed to listen to it at the covert. Din knows why, music enables people to dream big and imagine things that will never happen.

Cobb seems particularly fond of country music. Din only knows the twang of it because a group of teens he worked with were always complaining about it. They had played Din a few snippets of the music when he had admitted he'd never heard it. He hadn't been fond of it either, but Cobb had the right accent and could make the songs he hummed or sang sound decent to Din.

"So where're ya from?" Cobb asks in between bites. Din finishes chewing, ignoring the way his stomach clenches.

"Missouri."

Cobb blinks a few times. "That where you walked from?" He asks in disbelief.

Din nods. "Yeah."

"How long were you walking? Surely the kid slowed you down." Cobb realizes he's almost shouting because Din's face goes pale.

"I carried him. Mostly." Din shrugs like it's no big deal. Cobb's jaw drops.

"You walked from Missouri to Oklahoma while carrying a toddler?"

Din shrugs again.

"Wow. Just... Wow." Cobb leans back, looking impressed. "You're very dedicated."

"Anything for Grogu." Din answers, his eyes suddenly widen and he sits back, like he said something he regrets. "Anyways, this is very good but I don't think I can eat another bite."

Cobb looks at his plate, nodding. "That's alright. Just throw it out, it wasn't that much."

As much as Din hates throwing out good food, he can't stomach any more so he just nods.

Grogu is done eating and is coloring a piece of paper. He hands it to Cobb, grinning.

Cobb tucks it in his pocket.

\---

Peli's mechanic shop smells of grease and sweat. It reminds Din of one warehouse he worked in as a teenager. Only that job never gave him lemonade and cookies when he stepped in.

Peli coos over Grogu. "What can I help you boys with? Don't tell me your truck's transmission is being funky again." She sighs. Cobb laughs.

"Not today. The motorcycle does need some work though. I've tried fixing it a couple times and it's still making that weird noise." Cobb crosses his arms. "We need your help with something else."

"Oh?" She motions them to take a seat, still standing herself. "Spit it out."

"Do you know Bo-Katan Kryze and Koska Reeves?" Din asks.

It's barely three seconds later that Peli is holding a pocket knife in her hand, pointing it toward Din. Any friendliness in her eyes are gone. "How do you know about them?"

"I-" Din stares at her, swallowing nervously. "I need them."

"Peli, what the _fuck_?" Cobb snaps, pulling out his taser. Peli glares at Din.

"How do you know about them?"

"I need their help? I got out too. They'd know who I am?" Din's tone is frantic, almost panicky. "Please put down the knife." He can't breathe or think with it in his face. Tears threaten to fill his eyes.

"Peli, I will tase you." Cobb warns.

Peli pockets her knife as quick as she pulled it out. "And just who are you?"

"My name is Din Djarin. Please help me." He takes a very deep breath in an attempt to calm his racing heart.

Peli hesitates, looking at the two of them then down to Grogu, who is unaware of the situation that just occurred. "They live in Dotyville. E 130 Road, the blue house with gardens. You can't miss it. They are pretty isolated, might not talk to you."

Din gathers Grogu in his arms. "Thank you." He leaves the garage, still shaking.

Cobb waits for a moment before chasing Din to the car.

"Excuse me, what the hell was that?"

Din buckles Grogu into the carseat, not answering.

"Din. What the fuck?" Cobb hisses. "Are these people even expecting you?"

"No." Din opens the passenger seat and slides in. "We need to find them."

"This vehicle is not leaving until you tell me who the fuck these women are and why you need them so badly you're willing to stare death in the eyes." Cobb buckles his seatbelt and shifts in his seat to face Din. His hazel eyes are serious and firm. This man isn't the friendly sheriff people from Afton know, this is a man who needs answers and now.

Din sucks in a long breath. "I'm escaping a cult."

Man, Cobb did _not_ sign up for this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments make my day! 
> 
> Come chat with me on Insta or Tumblr @onceuponagalaxyfarfaraway


	5. Chapter 5

The home was exactly how Peli had described it. A blue house on the outskirts of town. Large gardens in the backyard and a truck in the yard.

In a way, it was the most stereotypical Oklahoma yard ever. All it was missing was a swingset and a dog on the porch.

The perfect place to hide if you were trying. Din is pale as Cobb looks over at him.

"Can you go first? Just make sure it's them?"

Cobb wants to say no. He wants to wave his finger around in Din's face and say "You made your bed now lie in it."

He can't. Din looks _terrified_ and Cobb can only guess how hard this is for him. He nods once, a sharp movement.

"Bring Grogu if I motion for you." He says, hoping the baby will bring some sympathy points.

Cobb gets out of the car, squinting at the sun that attempts to blind him. He walks up to the front porch and knocks.

No one answers for so long that Cobb almost turns around. When it opens, Cobb meets eyes with two women.

One is a redhead with a face full of freckles. The other, shorter one has dark skin and two braids.

"I'm Cobb Vanth." He holds out his hand for one of them to shake.

Both sets of eyes track the motion much like Din had. "I've got a man who wants to speak to you."

"What's his name?" The redhead snaps.

"Din Djarin."

The door slams in his face.

"Hey! Hey! Show some good southern hospitality!" Cobb hits the door angrily. The door opens, barely.

"Do you know who Din Djarin is?" The shortest one asks, her voice cold.

"No."

"He is the cult leaders' favorite, if he's gotten put they'll chase him down."

Cobb blinks, motioning for Din to come. He doesn't know what else to do but for Din to try and make his point.

Grogu is squirming unhappily, his father clings to him tightly. Din's posture is confident but his eyes betray his actual feelings.

"Koska." He nods, her eyes travel down to the child in his arms.

"Yours?"

"Yes." Din answers lightly. Koska raises a brow.

"Actually yours?" She clarifies. Cobb is so confused and can feel a headache blooming between his eyes.

"Xi'an's the mother."

"Hmm." Koska nods. "He looks like you."

"Help us? We just need a place until I can get a job and get onto my feet." He isn't begging, rather pleading.

"No." The redhead, who must be Bo-Katan because Din said the other woman was Koska, says. Koska looks somewhat apologetic. "We can't help you. I'm sorry. You know how high risk taking you in would be."

Cobb wants to know exactly how risky taking Din in is, considering the man is legally in his care until the end of the week. He doesn't speak though, all three other adults look spooked.

"I'm sorry." Din says at last. "I should have known better than to come to you for help." From anyone else, the words would be spiteful but Din just sounds dejected.

"You should have." Bo-Katan agrees. Cobb wants to scream, why are these women so reluctant to help one of their own?

"There's an FBI team in Tulsa who might help you." Koska admits. "They've asked for our help but we won't. It's too risky."

Din looks up. "What are their names?"

"Agents Dune and Karga. I don't know their first names." Koska shrugs. "They're stationed in Tulsa right now investigating missing children's cases.

"Thank you." In spite of the circumstances, Din smiles. It's the first time Cobb has seen him genuinely smile and makes a mental note to try and get Din to smile more often.

Back in the car, Din takes in a long breath. "How long is it to Tulsa?"

"An hour and a half. Maybe two? We could make it there by evening if we left right now."

Din thinks this over. "Let's go tomorrow, if you aren't busy. A lot has happened."

Cobb agrees. Too much has happened and he needs some time to process everything.

\---

"Here are some snacks." Cobb tosses Din a small container of various snacks. "And water." He hands Din a plastic bag of half-frozen water bottles.

"Thanks." Din says, he puts everything under his seat and turns to make sure Grogu is buckled.

Grogu plays with a stuffed animal silently.

"Little rascal doesn't talk much." Cobb says, looking back at Grogu before pulling out of the driveway.

"Is that bad?" Din worries, Cobb shakes his head.

"Nah. Count your blessin's. When I was that age, my momma couldn't get me to shut up." He chuckles.

"Not much has changed then." Din quips. Cobb looks at him, surprised. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Nonono. No apologies. It was funny." Cobb assures him. "I was just surprised. Trust me, you didn't hurt my feelings."

"If you're sure." Din says, he stares out the window.

"Ever been to Tulsa?" Cobb asks, Din snorts.

"I never left my small covert until last week. No, I've never been to Tulsa, I've never even been to Springfield."

Cobb sighs. "That's a sad, sad life."

"I guess..." Din shrugs. "When it's all you've known you get numb to it."

Cobb can't argue with that so he doesn't say anything. He turns on the radio and hums along. "Change it if you're one of those people who hate country, I won't judge."

Din wouldn't change it if he knew how, he likes watching Cobb really get into the music. "It's fine."

Cobb sings quietly, occasionally looking over at Din to make sure the man was alright.

The ride is over sooner than Din wanted. They pull up in front of the main police station Koska had told them.

Din scoops Grogu up and wraps him to his chest so the little boy can't run away. They considered not bringing him and leaving him with Peli, who had already proven to be quite good at defending herself. But Din had felt like bringing Grogu mught help drive his point home and Cobb agreed.

Grogu gurgles at the bright lights in the station. Din follows Cobb, feeling out of place. Being surrounded by cops isn't the best feeling, they had always been warned to be wary around cops and old habits die hard.

Cobb is technically a cop, Din muses. But he isn't much more than an overglorified babysitter of a small down. Aside from dealing with petty arguments, catching speeders, and lecturing teenagers, Cobb didn't do much. Din didn't feel like Cobb really qualified as a cop.

"We would like to speak to Agent Dune and Agent Karga."

The woman at the desk raises a brow. "Why?"

Cobb fumbles for his words. "We have some information on the cult they're searching for."

The woman looks over the three of them. She looks so unimpressed that Cobb briefly wonders if they are even at the right place. Maybe Koska had lied just to get them to shut up. That's what Cobb would do if he were in her situation.

"Down the hall on the left. Office seventeen." She covers her mouth as she yawns.

Okay, so maybe she just really disliked her job. Cobb shakes his head, he can't imagine just hating your job.

"Thank you." Cobb pushes Din toward the room. Din makes a beeline for office seventeen. He pushes the door opened, the two at the desk are arm wrestling, both grumbling unhappily. The two look up, confused.

"Can I help you?" The man asks, letting go if his arm wrestling partner's arm.

Din looks at Cobb, then down at Grogu's mop of curly hair. Taking a deep breath, he nods. "I have information about a cult in Missouri."

They raise their eyebrows. "Who are you?" The girl asks.

"Din Djarin. I escaped last week. This is Cobb Vanth, he's the sheriff of Afton and is helping me."

Din is exhausted of telling this part of the story and he's only told it twice.

"Will we be able to ask you some questions? If not I understand."

"Anything to help take them down." Din says confidently.

"I'm Cara, this is Greef." She motions to the man as she says his name. "Please, have a seat." She turns to Cobb. "You'll have to wait outside the office. I'm sorry."

Din's eyes suddenly widen. "No! Wait. Can he stay?"

Cobb raises a brow in confusion. Why did Din want him to stay?

"I'll be asking some rather personal questions-"

"That's fine. Please, I trust him." Din's face is calm, so different from the wild, terrified look he had yesterday as he begged the women to take him in. Cobb doesn't know if it's because he's had time to think over his actions or if he is genuinely more comfortable in this setting. Whatever the reasom, this is the most relaxed Cobb has ever seen him.

Cara motions for Cobb to pull a chair from Greef's desk over. "Of course he may. If that's alright with him?"

"It's alright." Cobb sits beside Din. He wants to squeeze his hand in a comforting gesture but isn't sure how Din will react so instead, he takes Grogu, who is drifting asleep.

Cara steeples her fingers as Greef pulls out a laptop and opens a word document to take notes. "Let's get started. Where were you born?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments make my day! 
> 
> Come chat on Insta or Tumblr @onceuponagalaxyfarfaraway


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot ✨thickens✨ 
> 
> TW: physical abuse, food deprivation, culty shit

Din hadn't always lived in Ash Grove, Missouri. He remembers a time that he lived in a place with bright skies and golden fields. He remembered his parents, the way they sang him to sleep every night with a lullaby in a language he only recently learned was Spanish. The words are long gone but the tune is still there.

He remembers the night they died. There was a house fire, he was barely saved from the flames. The group that rescued him took him back to their covert.

And with them Din stayed for almost thirty-five years.

The Covert wasn't bad all the time. Of course that's what people always say about cults. Din enjoyed the other children there, but as he got older he realized he wasn't going to be content with just teaching the kids or becoming a leader.

That's when he began to work, as a teenager. He found a job that didn't require any skill or education and excelled. Looking back, was probably a front for some drug trafficking ring. But for Din, the long hours in a dusty warehouse were pure freedom. Din didn't want anything else in the world, he worked to please the people around him and that made him happy.

He was on the cusp of turning seventeen when Bo-Katan and Koska escaped. That's when the Covert changed. He remembers being followed to work and back or driven if it was raining. The leaders got worst too, power-hungry bastards that wouldn't let people leave. They punished children for behaviors that Din remembered as being normal for himself as a 6, 7, 8 year old. Things like talking too loudly, running inside, refusing to go to sleep.

By the time Grogu was born, the Covert changed from a community of weird people, to a community of batshit insane abusers.

That's why Din left. For Grogu. He couldn't allow his son to grow up in that potentially deadly situation. Grogu meant everything to him and is the only one he has.

\---

"You mentioned instances of abuse, can you tell me about that?" Cara asks lightly, Din nods, taking a long time to respond.

"The ones in charge Moff Gideon, Valin Hess, a bunch of others, they're all power-hungry. Nothing gets past them."

"Except you." Greef points out. Din scoffs, a ragged sound.

"I've been watching their schedules since Grogu was born. It was no small task." He admits. He doesn't bother speaking of how many times he had tried to escape before his son's birth. That was intentional on his part, make them think that since that he had a son, he would mellow down. "They use many tactics to punish members."

"Such as?"

"Hitting, beatings. A lot of beatings." Din sucks in a breath. "Since the girls left, discipline measures often were painful."

\---

Din was maybe sixteen the first time he was truly punished by a leader. It was a woman named Morgan. He had been working and was a little late in getting back form work so he unintentionally interrupted a teaching.

"Din, stay here for a moment." She said at the end. Her voice was terse. He looked apologetic, he didn't feel guilty but he understood her frustration. As the rest of the group filed out, he approached her.

"I'm very-"

She slapped him before he could even finish his sentence. "Disrespectful boy. Do you know how much we have given you."

He covered his face in shock. He had never been hit before, not even as a punishment. The Covert never hit people, they believed there were other solutions to training children or preventing bad habits.

"Morgan, I-"

She let out a cold laugh. "Your excuses won't save you from your reality. Cane or belt?"

"What?!" His eyes widened.

She held up the two items. "Which one?"

"Neither!" He shrunk back, what was happening? He didn't know, no leader had ever treated him like this.

"Both then."

If anyone heard Din's pleas, they didn't say anything the next morning. If his coworkers noticed how he limped, they didn't dare point it out.

\---

Cara is pale as she looks at her next question. "I'm very sorry."

Din shrugs. "It's life."

Beside Din, Cobb can't speak. The cruel beatings are almost too much for him to stomach. Din was a child, sure a teenager is barely a child. Too keep himself from getting ill, he clenches his jaw.

"Any other abusive acts? Food or sleep deprivation? Negligence?"

"No negligence, children and even the teenagers are always watched by someone."

"What about deprivation?"

"What is deprivation. I know what the word means but not that term." Din looks a little ashamed. "Could you give me an example."

Cara nods. "Keeping food and water as punishment. Not allowing people to sleep as a punishment."

Din blinks a few times. "Those are... Not normal?" It never actually occured to him that it would be considered wrong. They weren't damaging and as long as they didn't continue for more than two or three days, they weren't even deadly.

"Of course not!" Cara exclaims, Din flinches at the sudden tone and she looks apologetic. "Sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Sleep deprivation," Din starts, a little startled. "That's always been used in the covert. New initiatives are not allowed to sleep until they memorize the creed. And kids that refused to sleep were often kept up to prove what a gift sleep is."

It sounds dumb now that he says it out loud. Of course that was bad.

"New initiatives?" She clarifies, she leans forward, like this is really what she wanted to hear.

"Kids that they pick up. Usually orphans or abused kids." Din explains. "Always finding more and more as time goes on. You know how parents are these days."

Din didn't think they would get into this topic, he doesn't know much of anything about the kids. He had Grogu but other than that, he tried to interact very little with the children. He knows that Paz has kids of his own.

"Food deprivation is used all the time. Not usually long term, maybe 48 hours." He changes the subject to something he know.

The three of them still look startled at the number. Din files away a reminder to ask Cobb how much he said was startling.

Cara writes something down. "Last question for today. And you don't have to answer this one. We have enough evidence to lock these leaders away for life." She admits. "But I'll ask the question anyways. Were you ever forced to perform sexual acts?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Saturday I'll post 2 chapters because the next one is pretty hefty as you can imagine 
> 
> Comments make my day!
> 
> Chat with me Insta or Tumblr @onceuponagalaxyfarfaraway


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Rape, forced drug use, someone (Cobb) throws up
> 
> IF ANY OF THIS TRIGGERA YOU PLEASE SKIP TO THE NEXT CHAPTER!!

_Cara writes something down. "Last question for today. And you don't have to answer this one. We have enough evidence to lock these leaders away for life." She admits. "But I'll ask the question anyways._ _**Were you ever forced to perform sexual acts?"**_

  
  
  


Din blinks a few times, shocked by the question. After a moment he answers.

"Yes."

His voice is distant, like he's in fight, flight, or freeze. Cobb shifts, in case Din tries to run.

"Would you like to elaborate?" Cara asks calmly.

Din's mouth opens and closes a few times. "Will it help?"

Cara hesitates. "Yes." She admits at last.

Din takes in a very deep breath, fingers gripping the arm of the chair. "Okay."

Cara flips her paper over, a motion that seems to catch Din's attention. His eyes stare at the notepad like a caged animal.

"How old were you the first time you were... forced?"

"Eighteen." Din's eyes are glazed over, he's barely breathing.

Cobb's mouth twitches a few times. Din is obviously not okay and Cobb feels helpless. "Stop. He isn't okay." He snaps. All three of them look at him.

"It's alright." Din places a hand over Cobb's hand. "Keep going." He says to Cara.

Cobb stares at their touching hands, this was new, Din always shied away from touch even from Grogu. What did Din have to prove? Cara said that they already had enough evidence to lock up the ones Din was trying to get.

Cara clears her throat. "Tell me what happened."

"It was mostly Xi'an. That is, she was the worst at least. Xi'an was assigned to be my..." Din trails off, trying to come up with a word. "Basically my escort. I don't know how to explain it."

"That's alright." Greef assures him.

"She would always touch me when I didn't want to. She was always there, I think one night she put something in my drink because when I fully woke up. I was naked and so was she." He chews the inside of his cheek. "That happened several times until I started pretending to enjoy it because the drugs were making me sick."

Cara nods, not saying anything so she didn't interrupt his train of thought.

"She was Grogu's mom."

"Was?"

"She's gone. Died in labor. That's how Grogu got his name, August miracle. The labor was really dangerous. We didn't have a doctor, just a woman who learned midwifery from another woman who learned midwifery from an actual midwife." Din glances over at Grogu, who seems content to stay sitting on Cobb's lap. "Neither of them should have survived. I was always worried that he would die on the middle of the night." Din trails off.

When he shows no sign of picking up from where he left off, Cara speaks up. "You said Xi'an was the main one. Were there others?"

"Before Xi'an, the leaders did. That's who touched me first. I was eighteen, they made me," Din squeezes his eyes shut. "They used me as a fuck toy, basically. I think it was only me though. They always acted like it at least. I tried to say no the first time but they locked me in a dark closet for days. No food, no water, just the dark closet and the smell of piss. I think I passed out because when I woke up I was covered in semen."

Cobb feels queasy. The little he had for breakfast threatens to come up, he manages to clench his teeth together though.

Cara looks unwell. "Anything else?"

"They threatened to go after others. Always made comments about some teenagers, I guess I looked young enough. They once threatened to use the younger kids. Maybe eight or nine. That's-"

Cobb manages to hand Grogu to Din and grab the white trash can by Cara's foot in one motion before he vomits.

Din stares. "That's all I know." He finishes.

Cobb dry-heaves, nothing to throw up. "I'm fine." He tells Cara, who looks like Cobb hurling into her trash can is not the worst thing she just heard.

"I'm hiring you a therapist. Is that alright? She's really great, a wonderful woman. Very kind, understanding." Cara already has her phone out.

Din shrugs. "Sure."

"Please do that." Cobb mutters, settling back into his seat, Grogu crawls back onto his lap.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, Cobb trying to pull himself together and Din recovering from reliving his entire life.

"As for what comes next, we have safe houses we can put you in." Greef says, "Great people. Almost anywhere in the country."

"Can I stay with Cobb?" Din asks. Cobb raises a brow. He wasn't aware that Din actually liked staying with Cobb.

"If that's alright with him. He might not want to get caught in any of this crossfire."

Cobb honestly doesn't think it will come to a crossfire. Afton is well out of the way, even if someone was trying to get to Dotyville, Afton wouldn't seem suspicious to someone passing through.

"I'm fine with it." Cobb says when he realizes they're all looking at him expectantly. "Afton's out of the way. They'll be safe."

Cara stands, signalling for them that it was time to go. "We'll be in touch. Thank you, Din."

She doesn't shake his hand, having learned her lesson the first time.

They're halfway back to Afton when Din speaks for the first time since the agents' office.

"Are you upset?"

Cobb's eyebrows shoot up into his hairline. "Of course not! Why would I be upset?"

"You threw up, for starters." Din sounds slightly embarrassed.

"I threw up because what those bastards did to you was awful. They deserve every moment of prison time they will get." Cobb tightens his grip on the steering wheel. "You're incredibly brave for talking to them."

"I didn't feel it." Din says bluntly. "I felt like my mind was full of goo." He smiles. "Thank you for staying."

There was that smile, brilliant and unstoppable. Cobb's heart beats faster in his chest.

"Of course, Din."

\---

Din is _fucked._ He's always heard kids talk about crushes and butterflies in their stomachs. But Din had never bothered paying attention, he was too important or too busy.

But now, watching Cobb stare intently at the road. Din thinks he must have a crush on the kind sheriff that took two former cult members in. After every single messed up thing in Din's life, how is it that he ended up with an incredibly handsome, kind soul who only wants to help them.

Din is really, really, really fucked.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tag about Winta and her legos finally comes into play

Ahsoka Tano is the nicest woman Din has ever met. Her hair is tied up into two braids and she smiles at him encouragingly.

"Tell me about yourself." She says during a moment of awkward silence after their introductions.

"I'm 38." He says, she nods.

"Anything else, family?

Hobbies?"

Din rubs the back of his neck. "I have a son. He's one. I don't have any hobbies."

"Surely you have something. Music? Writing? Reading?"

Din thinks for a moment. "I've been reading a law book Cobb has. It's interesting, the history of law and how laws are made today."

Ahsoka smiles. "My oldest brother is a lawyer. Are you interested in law?"

He shrugs. "I don't know."

"That's alright. Tell me about your son."

A safe topic. One that Din knows about more than anything. "He's one, almost one and a half. He loves stuffed animals and being read to. He and Cobb are at the library down the street right now."

Ahsoka jots something down, nodding to herself. "That's adorable. Cobb is the man you're staying with, right?"

"Yeah. He's the sheriff of Afton." Din nods.

"Is he a good fit for you and Grogu? Cara mentioned that you decided to stay with him."

Din smiles, Ahsoka takes note of the small gesture and writes it down. "Cobb is great. Kind, caring, he's doing the best he can. I think he is a good fit for now. He seems to like Grogu."

"That's good. Anything else you would like to tell me? We still have about ten minutes but I was going to let you leave early." Ahsoka is setting her stuff down on a table, leaning foward.

"Is it normal..." Din stops himself, thinking over his question. "Is it normal to develop feelings for the first person to treat you kindly?" The question feels stupid the moment the words leave his mouth.

Ahsoka looks surprised. She leans back. "It is. Sometimes, when someone doesn't receive a lot of care, it's easy to become attached. I wouldn't worry too much about it right now. It will wear off."

Din isn't sure but he nods anyways. "Thank you."

"Of course. It was a pleasure. I will see you next Tuesday. You know where you're going?"

He nods, biting back a retort that although he was raised in a cult, he isn't stupid and definitely didn't live under a rock for the last 35 years.

He walks down the street to the library, smiling at the librarian.

"You must be the dad of that cutie pie who is such an avid listener." She chuckles. "He looks just like you."

Din has never thought about the fact that his son looks like him. He knew it mentally, Grogu looks absolutely nothing like Xi'an so he must look like Din. Still, the thought makes Din smile.

"That would be my kid. Do you happen to know where they are?"

The librarian motions to the children's section. "I think your husband managed to get another librarian to read to him for a while."

Din blushes at the term _'your husband'._ He knows that he should correct the woman, it would be polite. But the term makes him feel warm so instead he thanks her and heads toward the children's section.

He finds Grogu, sitting on an unfamiliar woman's lap as she does silly voices, and Cobb, playing legos with a girl who must be related to the librarian.

"Oh, Din." He smiles widely, "You're back early."

Din doesn't respond, he watches Cobb and the little girl for a moment before Cobb says. "I don't think they'll be done for a while, come help us build this castle."

Din takes that as an invitation to sit on the floor beside Cobb.

"I'm Winta." The little girl holds out her hand in Din's face.

"He doesn't-" Cobb begins, stopping when Din takes Winta's hand and gives it a shake.

"I'm Din."

"We're building a castle."

"Without any of the instructions, because _someone_ left them at school." Cobb gives Winta a playful glare.

Din huffs. "Instructions are for losers." He picks up the box, looking at it. "I think that this goes the other way." He flips the piece around in Cobb's hand.

"Okay, Mr. Lego Expert." Cobb elbows his arm gently. "Tell us how to do this."

Din laughs. "I've never played with legos before."

Winta gasps, apparently affronted by the fact that Din has never played with legos. "You never have?" 

"Nope."

"Ever?" 

"No." 

"Wow. You're even better than Mr. Cobb. He said loved legos when he was a kid but his skills are really rusty."

"Winta!" The librarian looks up at her daughter in shock. Winta shrugs, looking anything but apologetic.

"Sorry, momma. It's true though."

Din's shoulders shake with silent laughter and Cobb can't even find it in himself to be upset at the fact that he's being mocked by an elementary schoolchild.

Din and Winta spend the next few minutes puzzling over which piece goes where. Eventually, Cobb decides to sit back and watch them.

Omera, the kindly librarian who offered to read some of her childhood books to Grogu, eventually lets the little boy get up after a particularly long fairytale.

"Papa!" Grogu hugs Din, Din smiles and pats Grogu's hair.

"Did you like the book?"

"Yes."

"Did you pick out a book for home?"

Grogu nods, motioning to the pile beside Cobb. Din looks at it, eyes widening. "That's a lot."

"They'll be done by tonight, probably." Cobb jokes. Din shrugs. While Cobb is being somewhat hyperbolic, he's not that wrong. Din has already read through all the children's books Cobb owns and has resorted to reading the law book to Grogu again.

"Your boy is quite the listener." Omera notes, "He should come to storytime on Thursdays, it'll be a good chance for him to bond with other kids his age. Besides," Omera's eyes sparkle with mischief. "Winta probably needs an expert's help with that little task she has."

"We'll talk about it." Cobb smiles. "It sounds great, for these two at least. Apparently my skills are rusty."

Winta shrugs unabashedly. "They are."

"C'mon buddy, let's get you home."

Cobb grunts dramatically as he picks up the pile of books. "Grogu, you'd better love every single one of these."

They check out uneventfully. Cobb gets Grogu to "help" him by carrying one of the books.

"So, what do you think about the Thursday storytime?" Cobb asks that evening. Grogu is asleep in his crib, exhausted from the day.

"It sounds good. Do you think it's safe?"

Cobb ponders the question, having not thought of that. "I think so. The only people at a Thursday storytime for toddlers are gonna be moms wanting an hour of free childcare. Besides, it'll be good for the kiddo to make friends."

Cobb's right. "If you aren't busy..." Din says slowly.

"I don't even work on Thursdays. It'll be perfect. We can go shopping too." Cobb nods to himself.

His phone interrupts them from further conversation.

"Howdy."

_"Is this Sheriff Cobb Vanth?"_

Cobb raises a brow, "It is. How may I help you?"

_"We would like to speak with Din Djarin."_

Din pales. Cobb grits his teeth, mind scrambling to come up with an excuse. "Who?"

_"Don't lie to me. I know he's staying with you."_ The voice hisses, upset. Cobb winces as Din holds out his hand for the phone. Cobb reluctantly gives it to him.

"What do you want?" Din's voice is calm but Cobb sees the way his hand shakes as he holds the phone. He gets up, going to the kitchen and a paper and pen. Cobb considers following before he decides it would be unwise.

He hears Din hang up after a couple more short exchanges on Din's part. A few minutes later, he comes into the living room.

"Who was that?" Cobb asks. Din shrugs.

"Someone from the Covert."

Damn Din and his unhelpful answers. It takes everything in Cobb not to scream into the void. "What did they want?"

"To meet up. They think I'm in Dotyville so that's a good sign."

Cobb nods absentmindedly. "Yeah, yeah. Good sign. You're not meeting up with them, right?"

Din doesn't answer.

"Right, Din?"

The silence that Cobb gets is answer enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment! 
> 
> Chat with me on Instagram or Tumblr - @onceuponagalaxyfarfaraway


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this scenario completely realistic? Nope.   
> Do I care? Nopppeee.

"Promise me you'll take care of Grogu if something happens." Din says, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Cobb clenches his jaw, unhappy with the potential scenario that something could go wrong.

"I-"

"Please." Din's voice takes a pleading tone. He grabs Cobb's arm, eyes shining with unshed tears. "Please I trust you to care for him like he's yours. Promise me."

Cobb stares at Din with a worried expressions. "I promise. Be safe, though."

"I will. Thank you." The sheer amount of relief in Din's voice makes Cobb wince. Din really thinks he won't be getting out of this in one piece.

They park outside the small bar that the cult member's chose. Cobb glares at the only other car in the parking lot.

He knows Greef is at the back door in case the two men try to bolt, Cara assured him that he would be. But he can't help but worry about Din anyways. Cobb didn't quite understand why they were letting Din talk to the men but Cara explained that while Din's information was incredibly helpful, he himself didn't know where the cult was located.

Cobb still thinks this whole scenario is bullshit.

Grogu is staying with Peli until everything dies down. Cobb believes in Peli's ability to keep the toddler safe. Besides, Grogu loves hearing her read in a million different accents so he wasn't even upset at the fact his dad was leaving.

Cobb drums his fingers against the steering wheel, a nervous habit he picked up in college and never quite let go.He hopes Din gets out of this. He's about to pick up his phone when a gunshot from inside makes his heart freeze in his chest.

\---

Din wrinkles his nose at the strong stench of alcohol. He has never liked alcohol, especially not with his background.

He spots two familiar faces in the corner. Migs Mayfeld, only referred to as Mayfeld, and Valin Hess, one of the worst men in the Covert.

"Din." Valin grins like a cartoon villain. "Good to see you."

Years and years of training kicks back in and Din blinks a few times.

"Thank you, sir. It's good to see you as well." He dips his head in a sign of reaoect. Valin motions to the seat, giving Din permission to sit.

Din does, not making eye contact.

"Now, is it good to see me?" Valin leans forward. "Because you don't seem too thrilled to see me."

Din looks up, meeting Valin. "What do you want?" His voice holds a bravery he doesn't feel.

Valin scoffs. "You know what we want. Come back to us. We miss you and your boy. You must be so lonely without us to guide you." Valin pats Din's hand.

It takes every muscle in Din's body to not react and pull away. He's gotten used to being able to say no to touch. He stiffens, face falling into one of apathy.

"We love you, Din. You're one of us and we want what's best for-"

Whatever Valin was going to say is cut off by a gunshot. Din jumps out of his skin as Valin slumps over, red seeping through his white shirt.

Ears ringing, Din turns to Mayfeld, who's holding his gun up in shock.

"I shot him." He mumbles. "I- He's dead."

"That tends to happen when you shoot a guy." Din's voice is breathless and the joke doesn't come out very well. Mayfeld still cracks a small smile before his face becomes worried.

"You have to help me get out. It's gotten worst since you left." Mayfeld looks up as someone steps in the door. It's Cara.

"What the fuck was- Oh shit." He looks at the body.

"He's dead." Din says breezily, he stands, kicking out Valin's chair so that the man falls to the floor. The thump that sounds through the empty room is satisfying.

Mayfeld lets out a shaky breath, still shocked at his own action. "I killed him."

"Yeah. You did. Cara, this is Mayfeld. He has some more information for you." Din needs to go outside before he begins to have a panic attack. The room is too small, too dark. The air smells like beer and dust.

The moment he pushes open the door, someone hugs him tightly. "Din! I thought I lost you."

Din slowly wraps his arms around Cobb's shoulders. "No. I'm here. I'm alright. I think everything is going to be alright."

He isn't being dramatic. Whatever information Mayfeld can give them will be enough to fill in some of the gaps Din left.

Cobb nods, "I thought... Are they dead? What happened?"

"Mayfeld killed him. He got out."

Cobb exhales. "Good for him. I'm glad. Are you okay?"

In complete honesty, no, Din isn't okay. His head is spinning and seeing the two men brought back memories he had tried to suppress. "No. I want to go home."

"Pick up Grogu and go home?"

Din thinks the option over.

"Leave Grogu with Peli. I need time to..." He trails off. "Is that awful of me?"

"No. No, Din. Being able to leave Grogu with someone you trust is a sign of progress. Let's get you home so you can process and maybe take a nap. I'm pretty sure you didn't sleep a wink last night."

Din nods, yawning. "I didn't. Thank you."

Cobb drives in silence, not daring himself to speak past the lump in his throat. When he pulls up in front of his house, he takes a deep breath and shuts his eyes for a brief moment.

"Are you alright?" Din asks softly, he places a gentle hand Cobb's, who is gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles are white.

"Yeah. Yeah. Just need a moment. Go on inside and I'll be right there." Cobb takes the keys out of the ignition andbblandly hands them to Din.

After a moment of silence, Din takes the keys and Cobb hears the door open and close.

The last two weeks have been incredibly stressful. Don't get him wrong, he likes having Din and Grogu around and he's glad they happened to wander into his town. At the same time, he's worrying about so many things and needs a moment of peace.

He allows himself another few moments of blissful silence before lifting his head and walking into the house. Din is sitting in the living room, book in hand as he reads.

"Thought you were gonna take a nap." Cobb says, he sits on the couch, shoulder to shoulder with the man.

Din looks up, "I don't think I'll be able to."

Cobb wants to tell Din to try anyways, but Din isn't a child and can make his own decisions. But, Cobb is exhausted so he doesn't think much before he leans his head against Din's shoulder.

He freezes for a moment before he relaxes and leans his head on top of Cobb's. Continuing to read, he listens to Cobb's soft breathing until it lulls him to sleep as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment if you have the time. 
> 
> If you noticed, there will actually be 11 chapters instead of 10 because I apparently can't count ✌


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place several weeks/months after the last :)

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess named..."

Din watches as Grogu stares in wonder at the picture book Omera holds up. He feels a soft smile spread across his face.

"He'll be fine here." Cobb reassures Din, tugging at his hand. "Come pick out a cookbook with me, surely you're bored of the same five meals I cook."

Din isn't. He's lived with Cobb for nearly three months now, the consistency is nice. But he knows trying others foods would probably be good, considering the cult didn't have much variety in foods.

He follows Cobb around, eventually after a few minutes of aimless wandering, he motions to the sign that clearly says cookbooks.

Cobb huffs out a laugh. "You shoulda said something sooner."

Din shrugs, smiling.

"Are you sure Grogu is alright in there?" Din frets after a few moments. Cobb rubs a hand over his face to hide his smile.

"Yes. I'm sure. He's with Omera."

Din twists his fingers nervously. Cobb watches him for a few moments.

"We should get you a fidget cube. One of these days you're gonna break your fingers."

Din blinks, slowly. "A what?"

"A fidget cube. It's a little box that has like switches and buttons. Handy little things, good for anxiety."

"Oh." Din says awkwardly. Cobb takes a deep breath, fingers dancing across the spines of the books.

"Crockpot meals? How does that sound? They can't be that hard." Cobb opens the book, flipping it around for Din to look at.

Din takes the book, looking through it as Cobb sits on the floor to look through books on the bottom of the shelf.

"So, how's therapy going? Ahsoka seems nice." Cobb isn't whispering because there is no one at the library at this time in the day but he keeps his voice quieter than usual.

"She is. Thank you for driving me to the sessions. I'm enjoying them, she's helped me process stuff."

To be fair, Din's only had about five sessions with her and the last one had been him bemoaning his crush on Cobb that isn't going away like she promised it would. They haven't really gone into great depth about the whole "I was in a cult" shit yet, Din is glad because it's messy.

They have covered the basics, the same stuff he told Cara. Ahsoka had given some helpful tips to prevent panic attacks, which was nice.

"Mmm. She give you any great life advice?"

"Just dealing with feelings." Din admits. Cobb doesn't even look up.

"Post-cult feelings or like other feelings?" Cobb's tone is light, he's just making conversation to fill the silence and Din knows he can pull out of the conversation at any moment if he feels like it.

That's another thing about Cobb, he treats almost all of their deeper conversations carefully, subtly letting Din know he can drop the subject if he needs to.

Din knows he was never in love with Xi'an. Their relationship was entirely built on what the cult leaders wanted and what Xi'an wanted. Din had no say in anything. Everything from what they ate to what they talked about was controlled by Xi'an. Din could never say no.

Cobb seems content to let Din take charge of the most things. He lets Din pick out what to eat, he allows their conversations to be dropped if need be. Every tactic Xi'an used, Cobb unintentionally (or intentionally, Din isn't quite sure which) avoids.

Din needs to tell Cobb how he feels. It feels like a weight on his chest, weighing down on him everytime they have a conversation.

"I think," Din stops himself, a part of his brain screams loudly for him to stop but he shakes his head to clear it. "I think I like you."

Cobb freezes from where he's flipping through a book. "I-" He sets the book down. "Alright."

Din blinks a few times. "I- Uh... Ahsoka said it would go away but it hasn't. It's gotten worse, or better I guess, anyways I'm sorry if it's making you uncomfortable, you look uncomfortable."

"Hold your horses, I didn't say I was uncomfortable, did I?" Cobb's mouth opens and closes a few times. "In my opinion, I think we should wait before trying anything romantic. I'm not saying no." He adds quickly when Din must look upset.

"Not saying no. I just think you need to heal from one thing before moving onto the

next."

"This is life. Sometimes things can overlap." Din snaps, covering his mouth as soon as he says it.

Cobb grins like he won the lottery. "Did you just sass me?"

"Sorry."

His grin falls. "No _ooo._ Don't apologize. That's the first time you've done that."

Tears begin filling Din's eyes. "I'm sorry." He stammers. He carefully hands the book in his hand to Cobb before hurrying away to the bathroom.

Cobb takes a deep breath. So, maybe pointing that out wasn't the smartest move but he was a little startled. He didn't know that his feelings of affection were actually requited.

After a few minutes, Cobb sets the books on the table and heads to the bathroom. Din is sitting on the counter, staring at his hands.

"I'm sorry about that." Cobb admits. Din looks up.

"I got carried away. I-"

"Please don't apologize, I wasn't insulted. It's good to see that you trust me, makes feel important." Cobb takes Din's hands in his. "I do like you, Din. I just want to go slow. And it's not just because you're healing, I haven't been in a relationship for so long and I'm worried I'll fuck up or something."

Din smiles. "Alright."

"Alright?"

Din nods.

On the way home, Cobb does stop by a walmart and pick up a fidget cube for Din. While he's walking by, he sees a box of puzzles. After a moment of hesitation, he grabs one and checks out.

"Here you go. I bought something else for whenever we have free time." He tosses the bag toward Din, who catches it.

"A puzzle. Oh and one of these..." Din trails off, taking the package off the fidget cube.

"Now you don't have to rip your fingers off when your anxious." Cobb says cheerily, backing his car up.

"I think self-preservation would kick in at some point."

Cobb considers Din's words. "Maybe. Now you don't have to find out."

Din shrugs, seemingly unimpressed, but Cobb notices how he runs his thumb over the switches on the side of the box.

\---

"So, what do you need from me as a... partner?" Cobb asks nonchalantly, he and Din are sitting at the dining room table flipping over puzzle pieces a few nights later. "Hand me that corner piece."

Din does as Cobb requests. "I don't know. Nothing sexual, maybe forever, I don't know. Give me that edge piece."

Cobb hands Din the piece. "Gotcha, gotcha. That's good. Anything else?"

"I don't think so. Not for now."

Cobb slides his chair closer to Din. He carefully intertwined their hands. "This okay?"

Din squeezes his hand. "Yeah."

"Mmkay." Cobb continues flipping over pieces before sighing. "As much as I would love to continue holding your hand, it's really hard to do a puzzle one-handed."

Din laughs, a clear sound that makes a grin break across Cobb's face. And wow, Cobb is really dumbstruck by how beautiful this man is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment! 
> 
> Only 1 chapter left, y'alls comments have been lovely thus far. 
> 
> Please come chat with me on insta or Tumblr @onceuponagalaxyfarfaraway


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter and I'm kinda bittersweet about it. On one hand, I'm glad because I can start other works I have planned. On the other hand, y'all have been lovely and leave the best comments. 
> 
> I hope this lives up to all your expectations.

Months go by with no information. Din and Cobb fall into a simple routine, Cobb leaves in the morning for work and Din stays home, cooking or studying to receive his GED. In the evening, they eat and the two stay up talking or sitting together.

On this particular evening, Din rolls out dough carefully for cookies, Cobb watches him absentmindedly. He's not great at baking but apparently Din is so Cobb isn't complaining.

His phone ringing startles both of them.

"Howdy." Cobb answers calmly, Din doesn't look up, hands sticky with dough.

"Hello, is this Cobb Vanth?"

The voice is familiar but Cobb can't quite place it. "Yep. Who is this?"

"Ahsoka Tano. Din's therapist. May I speak to him?"

Din motions for Cobb to hand him the phone before he realizes his hands are covered in flour and dough. Cobb lets out a weak laugh. "He's covered in flour right now. I can put you on speaker or you can call back in a few minutes."

"Put me on speaker, I have good news."

Din looks curiously at the phone as Cobb puts his phone on speaker so that Din can hear. Din wipes his hands on his pants, standing closer to be able to hear.

Din nods so Cobb answers. "Hello Ahsoka. What's up?"

"I was just informed by Cara that they arrested seven cult members from Ash Grove and have taken thirty to safe houses or the hospital. Ten of the thirty were children missing from around the Midwest."

Cobb blinks a few times. The information was a lot to take in at once.

"Gideon and Pershing were arrested, their trials are set in a few months. Thanks to you, Din, a lot of bad people are going to jail."

"Thank you." Cobb says, realizing Din isn't going to say so. His eyes are wide, like he can't quite believe her.

"Of course. Call me if you have any questions. Your next appointment is tomorrow at eleven. Goodbye." She hangs up before he has a chance to thank her.

They are silent for a moment that seems like forever. Cobb's mind is filled with a billion thoughts that he can't put into words. Was that conversation even real? It didn't feel it. Is Din actually free now?

Din suddenly sucks a breath in, bringing Cobb out of his thoughts. "They're gone."

Cobb stares at Din whose dark eyes are filled with childlike excitement. "They're gone." Cobb affirms.

"Can I kiss you?" The question surprises Cobb but _oh he wants it so badly._

"Yes. Fuck, yes."

Din tastes like dollar store chapstick and the mint gum he insists on chewing all the time. Cobb cups his cheek and Din instantly leans into the touch.

"We're safe."

_We're safe._ The words echo in Cobb's head long after Din pulls away.

A sob escapes Din's mouth and Cobb is worries for a moment before he realizes Din is crying from joy, not because he's upset.

"Oh, darlin'." Cobb wraps his arms around Din's shoulder. "We're safe, all three of us."

\---

_Ten_ _years later..._

"Cobb?"

"In the kitchen!"

Din skids to a halt in the kitchen door frame. "How was your day?"

Cobb kisses him. "It was great. How was yours?"

"I passed the bar exam." Din blurts, unable to keep the news to himself. He hasn't told anyone because he wanted Cobb to know first.

A few years ago, after all the trials from the cult were over, Din had decided to get a degree in law. It was extremely difficult but Cobb was beside him every step of the way, watching Grogu, helping Din study, or just being a shoulder to cry on. Finally, after almost six years, Din had taken the bar exam and their family has been waiting for these results for months now.

Cobb looks stunned at the news. "Nuh-uh."

"Yeah-huh." Din pulls up the email on his phone. "Came in maybe three hours ago."

Cobb looks over the email, a fond smile on his face. "And you're just telling me?"

"I was at work!" Din can't help the grin that's on his face. He feels like Grogu on Christmas morning. "But you've been the first person I told."

"I'm so proud of you." Cobb says sincerely. He rests their foreheads together. "You are the smartest man I know."

"Couldn't have done it without you."

Cobb hums. "Din Djarin, lawyer, my husband?" He planned to do this tonight anyways, but the occasion makes it all the sweeter.

Din blinks a few times. "I- really?"

"If you'll have me." He's a little nervous, what if Din isn't ready? What if he decides that he and Grogu are better off alone?

Din hugs Cobb tightly. "Of course. Of course. You're practically Grogu's second parent anyways." He mumbles into Cobb's ear.

"Just asking." Cobb shrugs, letting a laugh wash away the way anxiety threatened to curl in his chest. Din wanted him, he wanted Cobb in his life onwards.

Someone once said, love is a hurricane in a blue sky. A spot of peace in the whirlwind of life. And in this moment, with Cobb in his arms, Din feels so incredibly loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh The End. I hope you all liked this chapter, please leave me a comment if you did ❤ 
> 
> Come on down and chat with me on Insta or Tumblr @onceuponagalaxyfarfaraway

**Author's Note:**

> Please consider commenting, they make my day!


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